to ask if you think being fat is a disadvantage in job interviews?

[AteRiri]

Especially in corporate world? Just curious.

Also, before anyone suspects fat shaming, I'm a 16 myself. So really curious as I am doing the rounds of graduate job interviews currently.

Yes I think it does - I think there have been studies about it.

One of my friends was telling me last week that her midwife was heavily obese and she was terrified - apparently the midwife wheezed and couldn't move fast. I'd like to think that I wouldn't discriminate against overweight people but I do understand why my friend was frightened in that case.

Anyway, it's got to depend how fat. Size 16 is basically just a bit plump, so I don't think that would have an effect.

Oblomov17

"because a negative trait is common, doesn't make"

I agree. But why is this negative trait common? If the majority IS this thing. Kind of odd.

The negative trait is because people typically burn fewer calories due to lifestyle as well as eating more calories. Combine the two and you get fat quickly.

gamerwidow

"A bit overweight (maybe up to a 20 or so?)"

What? I wouldn't want to 'fat shame' anyone as it's just mean but describing a size 20 person as a bit overweight is partly what's led to this obesity crisis. That and the change in lifestyle and the "you're beautiful whatever size you are" idea.

Which industries with a gender bias about being over-weight are you talking about? I can't think of any.

Yes. And I think people who are saying no are just wrong.

We ALL have unconscious biases, fat is one of them.

If you are a tall, slim, good-looking white man, you probably have the best chance of getting the job, over somebody else with the same qualifications. I suppose at least being fat is the one thing you can do something about, race, sex and attractiveness, you're kind of stuck with.

The only time I ever interviewed somebody who was quite (very) overweight, she was utterly fantastic. Very articulate with a very clever turn of phrase, witty with just the perfect shade of snark, ideal degree for the job, genuinely interested in the industry.

It would have been crazy of me NOT to hire her immediately. I'm skinny (if that's relevant?) and it never entered my head that being overweight would make a clever, funny and educated young woman unsuitable for the job or company.

She has gone on to greater things now, unsurprisingly.

The snark helped, of course. I couldn't work with someone who didn't have a little bit of snark.

Sorry. I didn't answer your question. I think that there IS bias. Yes. I was biased straight away when I saw the young woman I mentioned above, I admit, but the moment the interview started, my bias went out the window, and I realised that I had been very unreasonable, and judged myself quite a bit.

On the other hand, she was also well dressed with great, appropriate hair and makeup, all of which I also noticed. There are many factors, and if weight is a negative factor (and a quickly identifiable one), it can be offset by positive factors.

Cheesy, you've misunderstood what I meant.

I meant this negative trait is common. Not the negative trait on being fat in itself, but the negative trait of looking down on people who are fat.

That's wierd, because the majority are fat. So the minority are looking down their nose on a majority. That's kind of ironic.

oh yes, let me look down my nose on you. You scum of the earth.
Oh dear everyone is fat. Oh dear I thus need to look down my nose on the majority of the UK....

If they're an employer worth working for? No.

Depends how much of a c*nt the interviewer is!

It would never stop me employing someone.

And it never stopped me getting a job either - been 20-22 and got job easily!

12-14 now but still employed.

icanteven - isn't that falling into the stereotype that fat people have to be funny? Or at least that if they are funny that can mitigate against the fatness?

Yes. All my life I've been given 'the look.' Every job I've had though has given me a great reference on leaving.

My weight was in the 20's and I tried to counter balance people's prejudice by dressing well, nice hair, sunny personality etc and to some extent that worked.

I've since shocked myself that I'm fatist. I always look at every candidate and wonder whether they can do the job from a physical point of view. A large person walking 3 flights of stairs to the office? sounds doable but that person will need to use the stairs to get lunches, coffee, greet people, post office trips...the job would take longer.

A large childminder? I never see large people running after kids, so would they be able to keep up?

Sometimes it really doesn't matter and that is when it is prejudice but there will always be reasons why you don't get the job.

I used to spend a lot of my time trying not to look lazy and tired.

As for self discipline, getting out of bed at 3 times the weight of a normal person - you don't get much better self discipline than that.

The poster above Sarasue has clearly never been overweight and should probably stick to posting on fluffy stuff. Please don't come back to say you struggled to lose 5lbs and you went to gym everyday until it came off blah blah blah. Your comments are nasty.

i am unfortunately also a bit fattist, i think laziness in your own life would make you less inclined to work hard for me so if you came in with the same qualifications as others i would pick someone fit and healthy.

I also worry about the number of sick days that will be required for fat related ailments

icanteven - isn't that falling into the stereotype that fat people have to be funny? Or at least that if they are funny that can mitigate against the fatness?

Gosh - no, I hadn't even considered it from that perspective, and I didn't mean to give that impression. I just meant that I personally set a very high value on a slightly snarky sense of humour and if someone demonstrates a bit of zing at interview then that's an a big advantage, because it means we'll get on well at work together.

I later worked with a woman who was good at her job and everything but utterly devoid of anything even resembling a sense of humour and it was miserable working with her.

I don't associate wit with weight. A fat woman can be an utter bore to work with just as easily as a thin one, I imagine.

Yes in corporate land
You are also judged if ugly
You are also judged if not terribly bright
Your clothing is assessed
Your accent, grammar

Will you fit the 'brand' sum up the market the company wishes to convey?

Your ability to chime with the interviewer matters but if you don't fit their ideal for company culture.....

Where I worked previously everyone ran marathons or did ironman comps. I got away with doing yoga and spin only because I fitted their criteria - tall thin blonde

Oblomov17

I don't think it's looking down on someone. I think it's more simple and subtle than that.

As soon as you meet someone, you judge them. Every single one of us does it to everyone we meet. The judgements can be positive, negative or neutral and the judgements are weighted. Some are much more significant than others. We have a full time nanny and have since our children were born. When we were interviewing, we turned down one simply because she didn't smile when she met the children. Very judgemental of us, but an employers' prerogative and human nature.

Epipgab - If they're an employer worth working for? No.

MerlinEmrys - Depends how much of a c*nt the interviewer is!

Hypothetically, if you were interviewing two identical candidates but one was fat, which would you employ? I'd be amazed if anyone said the fat one. QED being fat is a disadvantage. No one has said 'unemployable'. Do you not see that "been 20-22 and got job easily" proves nothing?

I got a job once when hungover (perhaps still tipsy) and late to the interview. It no doubt counted against me but it was a small business wanted some technical work doing. I was over-qualified but cheap and keen (PhD student) and I'd been recommended to them.

Just playing devil's advocate, icanteven ! Believe me, I find no sense of humour people so wearing - although who, ever, has admitted they have no sense of humour?!

It's depressing but I also think this is true.

Some people do have a generally unfair impression that somebody who cannot control their weight lacks self-discipline and could be lazy.

I used to be 7 stones heavier than I am now, and used to wear a size 24. I am now a 12/14 on the top and a 16 on the bottom half (all hips, no boobs). I am 5ft 9.5, and am in the middle of the "overweight" BMI category (26.9). I have definitely found that people's initial attitude to me has been different since losing weight. Not people who already knew me, but people I am meeting for the first time. They tend to me more welcoming, friendly & generally "interested" in talking to me.

It's crap, it's depressing, but I do believe it's true.

Yes. It shouldn't be but yes.

Women have maternity leave, women have much higher rates of sick leave and women are often the ones who have to take time off for unplannned child care.

DH has four women in his office who are ALL going to be off on maternity at the same time.

It's completely WRONG but it's not surprising if woman were quietly discriminated against. Add to that someone who is very overweight then a recruiter may start thinking about extra sick leave etc.

All wrong but I bet it happens.

Yes.

I gave up job hunting and focused on my self employment, once my former job became untenable due to family issues. I'd been job hunting for four years prior to having no choice but to leave. I got interviews for almost every position I applied for but nothing further.

One interviewer out right asked me if I felt I'd be able to 'keep pace' at my 'size' I'm a size twenty, otherwise fit and healthy, walk five plus miles per day.

Now I'm self employed I work twelve hours a day, seven days a week to try and make it work. Lazy, undisciplined fatty that I am

I think it depends on the job you're applying for and who's interviewing you and what their take on obesity is.

I think for some people being obese is a sign that the person is just lazy and has bad health, but many people that can see through a persons outward appearances and see their positives.

Yes

Being fat is seen by a lot of people as being synonymous with being lazy, not motivated, lack of self discipline, unhealthy, unfit - which are all negative connotations in the workplace.

I know it isn't, but that is often peoples perceptions.

Quite unfair because how good someone is at controlling their food intake is not reflection on how good they are at being awesome at work.

Your ability to chime with the interviewer matters but if you don't fit their ideal for company culture.....

There is a massive bias towards people like me that people have to watch out for when interviewing. That is a major barier to diversity.

White ruggr playing male interviews aisan kid from bradford in a cheap suit who is living at home and had a year out working in his dads shop to pay down some of his uni debt for a grad finance position, also interviews white rugger playing male who went to the same school as interviewers brother and has just had an interesting year out traveling, looks sharp in his expensive suite and shoes.

Who do you think is more likely to get the position.

I'm old, female and very obese and, yes, the latter does get me treated differently. A few years ago I lost several stone (sadly all gone back on again) and I noticed the difference very much.

I went for a pt job at age 59 and when I saw a few of the other candidates I knew I wouldn't get the job.

I went ahead with the interview anyway and, I don't know, maybe because I had resigned myself to failure, or maybe because the interviewers could see beyond the fat woman, I did get it.

Nobody was more surprised than I was - but I know from previous experience that this is unusual.

I have hired both large and skinny applicants (and everything in between). I think that anything that wasn't properly, morbidly, taking-up-two-seats obese would have no impact on my hiring decision (consciously anyway, but I have hired someone who was a size 20 before).